SHC seeks records from culture dept

Karachi
The Sindh High Court on Wednesday directed the culture department and the revenue board to file affidavits about the areas of historic Chowkandi graveyard and the removal of encroachment from the site.
The high court issued these orders while hearing the petition of Agha Syed Attaullah Shah stating that the Chowkandi graveyard on the National Highway near Landhi was a precious national heritage site spread over almost 57 acres. It was said that Chowkandi was the family graveyard of Jokhio and Baloch tribes which used to lived in the area between the 15th and 18th centuries.
The petitioner alleged that influential persons were stealing carved stones from the graveyard to decorate their houses. He said the graveyard was being encroached upon to build hotels, houses, offices and truck stands but the Sindh chief secretary, culture department and Malir Development Authority took no action to stop these illegal activities.
The complainant said the graveyard was in dilapidated condition and said the respondents were not performing their duties, as required under the Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act, 1994, and the National Fund for Cultural Heritage Ordinance, 1994.
He asked the high court to direct the government to ensure maintenance at the graveyard and remove encroachments from there. The petitioner also requested the court to direct the heritage department to file statements regarding the expenditure of funds for the maintenance of the graveyard.
The actual covered area of the historic Chowkandi graveyard became controversial in court when deputy commissioner Malir stated in his reply to the court that it was 25 acres, instead of 57 acres as claimed by the petitioner, who had moved court against encroachment and lack of proper care of the ancient graveyard.
Replying to the statement of deputy commissioner Malir that the total area of the graveyard was 25 acres, the petitioner submitted that board of revenue and survey superintendent had purposely disobeyed the court orders of January 16 and had neither submitted any affidavit of facts nor the statements regarding total area of Chowkandi which fell under departmental protection.
He said the respondents had not furnished details about the encroached area along with clarification whether any area of the protected heritage had been allotted to anyone.
The court directed the secretary culture and heritage department as well as board of revenue and others to file their respective affidavits about the total areas of the historic Chowkandi graveyard and the removal of encroachments from the site.
Increase in traffic fares
The Sindh High Court directed provincial law officer to obtain a compliance report from the transport department about the installation of fare metres in rickshaws and taxis. Petitioner Rana Faiz-ul-Hasan submitted in the petition that transporters had raised transport fares without the permission of the Regional Transport Authority and people were left at the mercy of transporters demanding fares on whim.